Gold-saving apparatus.



T. GILBERT. GOLD SAVING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED mum, 1910.

Patented Oct. 24, 1911.

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T. GILBERT. GOLD SAVING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 13, 1910.

1,006,649. Patented 001. 24, 1911.

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fivenfar Tfiomas 627 682? ZZzAffar/re THOMAS GILBERT, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

GOLD-SAVING APPARATUS.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 2 1, 1911.

Application filed July 13, 1910. Serial No. 571,768.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS GILBERT, citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gold-Saving Apparatus, of V which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a sizing and separating apparatus and particularly pertains to an apparatus for mechanically separating fine mineral containing particles from coarse sand and gravel.

It is the object of this invention to provide an apparatus of the above description which is substantial in construction, durable, and which is simple and efficient in operation.

A further object is to provide a gold-saving device which is especially adapted for use in handling black sand and separating fine or flour-gold particles therefrom.

Another object is to provide a sizing and separating device having screening surfaces so constructed as to be practically indestructible, thus obviating the necessity of frequently changing the screens, as is usually the case where screen wire is employed.

Still another and important object is to provide a device for separating the line and heavier values, which device is so constructed and operated as to act in the same or a similar manner as that of the old-style hand method of panning.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combinationof parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical, longitudinal section of the invention. Fig. 2 is a detail showing the manner of securing the ends of the bars. Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating the manner of moving the materials in the cylinder. Fig. 4is an enlarged cross-section on the line 0000, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail in perspective showing the manner of constructing the screening cylinder. Fig. 6 is a detail of the screening table. Fig. 7 is a detail showing the construction of the intermediate supporting rings.

In the drawings A represents the framework on which the invention is mounted and which may be of any suit-able or desired construction. A drive shaft 2 is supported in suitable bearings on the frame A and is adapted to be rotated through a pulley 3 from any suitable source ofpower. Mounted on the shaft 2 is a hollow drum or separating cylinder, designated at B, and which is peculiarlyconstructed in order to obtain the desired results. The shell or circumferential sides of the cylinder is composed of a number of longitudinally extending, rectangular bars or slats 4:, which are supported at their ends and at any point or points throughout their length by being mounted in supporting rings 5, and are slightly separated from each other so as to form slots or passages therebetween; the distance between the slats or bars 4 being governed by the sizes or grades of mate rial, such as sand or gravel, to be handled. The bars 4 are substantially square in section and are so disposed in relation to the axis of the cylinder B, which axis is the shaft 2, that diagonally opposite corners of the bars 1- will fall on the radii of the cylinder.

The connection between the shaft 2 and the cylinder B is made by means of spokes 5 extending inwardly from the rings 5 to a hub 6 secured to the shaft 2. The ring 5 on one end (the feed end) of the cylinder is wider than the others and the spokes 5 thereon are bowed inwardly into the cylinder so as to admit ofthe insertion of a feed chute 7 into the feed end of the cylinder B. The opposite or discharge end of the slotted cylinder B terminates in an ananular extension 8 having a slightly restricted portion 8 formed therein.

A series of blades 9 are spirally mounted on the inner surface of the cylinder B for the purpose of moving the coarser materials fed to the cylinder at the feed end toward and out the discharge end as the cylinder revolves, as later described. A shaking pan 10 isdisposed beneath the slotted cylinder 13 and is supported on adjustable hanging rods 11, as shown in Fig. 2, the upper ends of which are pivotally secured to the frame in such manner as to admit of a longitudinal swinging or oscillating movement of the pan. This movement is accomplished by means of a wrist pin or crank shaft 12 which rotates the pan 10 through a connecting rod 13.

The pan 10 is connected to the hanging or suspending rods 11 by trunnions 14: so that a teetering movement can be given the pan 10 on its pivotal mounting, by means of an eccentric 15 mounted on a shaft 16 and driven from main drive shaft 2. The

bottom of the pan 10 slopes toward its center, at which point a pocket 17 is formed into which the values separated by the pan are collected. A cap 18 is secured on the pocket 17 as a closure therefor, which is removed at the clean-up to allow the contents of the pan to be discharged at this point. One end of the pan 10 is closed and the other is open, the open end terminating in a slotted chute or trough 19 in the form of a grizzly. This grizzly 19 is constructed of rectangular bars 20 slightly separated and so disposed and arranged as to have their corners or edges uppermost, as shown in Fig. 4. The grizzly is pivotally secured at one end to the outer edge of the pan 10 and is adapted to move therewith, the outer end of the grizzly resting on any suit-able support, preferably on adjustable pendulums 22 in a like manner, as that of pan 10.

The exterior surface of the cylinder B is studded at intervals with outwardly projecting pins or teeth 21 which extend toward and terminate close to the side walls and bottom of the pan 10 for the purpose OI raking and agitating the fine sands which settle and are inclined to pack in the pan 10. The distance the teeth 21 are separated from the pan 10 may be regulated by adjusting the length of the rods 11 by the turnbuckles 11 thereon, so as to move the pan up or down on a horizontal plane, and closer to, or farther from, the cylinder B as desired.

The operation of the invention is as follows: Sand or gravel is fed to the interior of the cylinder B through the trough or chute 7, as desired, and from any suitable source. The cylinder B is revolved by means of the shaft 2 which is rotated through the pulley 3 in any desired manner. The coarser particles of sand and gravel, such as are too large to pass between the bars 4: forming the shell of the cylinder B, are picked up by means of the spirally disposedblades 9 on the inner surface of the cylinder and are moved forward in the cylinder B in the well known manner, viz: the material falling from the end of the chute 7 onto the lower portion of the cylinder is engaged by a blade 9 and carried upward asthe cylinder revolves until it reaches a certain point; whereupon it slides forward on the blade a short distance and is dropped back toward the lower portion of the drum a short distance ahead of the point where previously picked up; whereupon it is engaged by the following blade 9 and the operation repeated. In this manner the coarser materials are advanced step by step until they are ultimately discharged over the restricted portion 8 of extension 8. The blades 9 being separated at their ends, tend to separate the materials being treated as they fall from one blade to another. The upwardly inclined portion of the extension 8 offers a certain resistance to the outpouring of the materials from the cylinder B and prevents a too free discharge. The coarse materials on leaving the cylinder B and its extension 8 fall onto an inclined chute or sluice 23, the-bottom of which is ritlled in the ordinary manner. The riflies in the sluice 23 collect such coarse values as may pass through the cylinder B, while the residue is conveyed through the sluice 23 and is deposited on a waste pile. The fine sands deposited in the cylinder B are sifted between the bars 4 and fall into the pan 10, a volume of water being directed into the cylinder and pan in any suitable man ner to facilitate the separation of the sands from the gravel and at the same time supply a medium for washing the sand in the pan 10. This is accomplished as follows: On the rotation of the drive shaft 2, the crank 12 is caused to revolve so as to transmit a reciprocating movement to the con necting rod 13 which, being linked to the pan 10 gives the latter an oscillating or swinging movement on its suspension rods 11; at the same time the shaft 16 is rotated from the shaft 2, so as to actuate the eccentric disk and sleeve 15 in order to give the pan 10 a rocking or teetering movement simultaneously with the swinging movement. The connect-ions between the pan 10, the connecting rod 13 and the eccentric 15 are such as to admit of this variety of movements of the pan. The heavier particles of mineral are caused by the above described actuation of the pan to travel toward its center to be deposited in the pocket 17 the lighter particles traveling up the inclined bottom of the pan to'be slushed off over the open end onto the grizzly 19.

The process of separating the mineral in the pan 10 is similar to that employed in washing or panning by hand. The bars of the grizzly 19 are closer together than those on the cylinderB and subject the material to further screening or separating action, the finer particles passing between the bars 20 of the grizzly 19 to be later treated in any desired manner. The grizzly 19 being secured to the pan 10, it is subject to the movement of the latter, which movement is such as to cause the coarser materials which have been deposited thereon from the pan 10 to travel down the grizzly to any suitable point of deposit. As there is a tendency of the sand to pack in the pan 10, the spikes 21 on the outer surface of the cylinder B are provided to keep it raked up and agitated, so as to admit of a thorough washing action, and thereby aid in the separation of the values.

The use of rectangular or square bars in the construction of the cylinder B forms an important feature of this invention, inasmuch as a screening surface is thereby obtained which is not liable to soon become worn or cut to pieces by the action of the gravel and sand, as would be the case were wire netting or the like employed.

The supporting rings which are disposed within the cylinder B between the end rings 5 are necessarily difierently constructed than the latter in order to readily assemble the parts. The construction of the intermediate ring or rings is shown in Fig. 7, in which 23 represents the outer rim of the ring on which is formed teeth 24, between which the bars 4 are disposed. 25 is a band or strap which is placed around the cylinder over the bars 4: to retain them in position on the ring 5. In some instances this form of construction mav be employed on the end rings 5.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In a gold saving apparatus, the combination of a suspended pan concaved in crosssection, a revoluble screen drum having its lower portion inclosed by the pan, said drum having peripherally projecting pins extending into proximity with the bottom of the pan, and means for imparting a shaking movement to the pan in two directions, one substantially at right angles to the other.

2. In a gold saving apparatus, the combination with a suspended pan, a revoluble screen drum mounted above the same, said drum having parallel, interspaced, angular bars and said bars having pins projecting beyond the periphery of the drum and into proximity with the bottom of the pan, and means for imparting a longitudinal and transverse shake to the pan relatively to said screen.

3. In combination, a concentrating pan, an inclined chute screen pivotally connected at the upper end to the pan, and receiving the overflow therefrom, said screen being suspended for longitudinal movement at the lower end, and means for longitudinally and transversely oscillating the pan and therewith the screen.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS GILBERT. Witnesses:

CHARLES H. PENFIELD, CHARLES EDELMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 1). G. 

